Arctic Food Arena explores diversified circular food production

What does the future of food production look like? How can we work together between different industries to strengthen the low level of self-sufficiency in northern Sweden? Arctic Food Arena is an initiative of several municipalities (including Boden and Gällivare) that have large industrial establishments that will eventually generate residual heat. The aim is to jointly develop these new food production opportunities.

On Wednesday, representatives from several different industries and public organizations gathered at Boden Business Park. Under the theme “Symbiosis remainder to resource”, the participants were able to take part in current research and future prospects. At the same time, they got a historical look back at how food supply has been managed in our Arctic part of the world over the centuries.

“I see great opportunities to link tourism to food production. In addition to the fact that locally produced food and our high-quality raw materials are one of the strongest reasons to visit our county, there is a strong interest in seeing how food is produced and processed,” says Oskar Hederyd, Strategic Partner Manager, Swedish Lapland Visitors Board, and continues:

“If we were to have new crops of vegetables or fish, for example, linked to the industry’s residual heat, I am sure it would be another reason to travel to the county”.

A number of initiatives are already underway in the county, including the cultivation of larvae to be used as feed for fish and birds, as Nils Lindh, business developer at Boden Business Park, explained.

“The vision for the food industry in Boden is an extension of Boden’s vision of “The Good Life” and reads: A viable, nature-positive food system that generates enough food for all Boden residents within the planetary boundaries, in a way that creates global echo”, says Sara Watz strategic coordinator at Boden Business Park, which has developed Boden’s Food Strategy and helped organize the day.

“Days like these play an important role in connecting different actors in the food production ecosystem in Norrbotten. Perhaps we have had it too good and it has been too easy and cheap to just buy all the food directly when it has been needed”, concludes Hederyd.

You can read more about the Arctic Food Arena here.